Stoneware piece handmade by Yu Wen Ceramics in Paris
Yu Wen Huang was born in Taiwan and lives in Paris. She prefers to use dark, high-temperature clay matched with a matte white glaze so objects appear to have varying depths of white. Sometimes, this ceramist opts for the natural smoky blackening of Raku to bring out the simplicity of the object .
MATERIALS : White chamotte sandstone
TECHNIQUE : Potter’s wheel and hand cutting
COOKING : Electric
EMAIL : Transparent
COLOR : Bright gray white, shades of pale pink
DIMENSIONS : Ø approximately 13.5cm, height 7cm
USES AND MAINTENANCE:
Microwave: No
Dishwasher: Yes
Oven: No
Eating :
In Japan, raku is an integral part of the tea ceremony and has been used for a very long time as a utility and food; Westerners also use it.
This can be confusing, because however in Europe, there is legislation which designates Raku as non-compliant for food use. Being pieces fired at low temperature, they are slightly porous and therefore considered “unhygienic” because tea, coffee, coloring foods or even fat can leave traces, tints, and patina on the object.
The ceramist does not use oxide to give color. It only uses a very basic transparent lead-free enamel called frit, which melts at 900 degrees. It's a cover. This transparent enamel develops networks of cracks at the exit from the oven during the thermal shock of smoking. This is revealed when the smoke passes through it. Which gives this famous cracked Raku effect.
NOTE: Like any handcrafted product, these pieces may have slight variations in shape, color and thickness.
